Best Instagram Worthy Wonders Restaurants in Old Town

Alinea is a Michelin-starred modernist dining room where Grant Achatz’s multi-course tasting menu turns dinner into an immersive, theatrical experience. Since 2005 it’s been Chicago’s most famous special-occasion restaurant, drawing couples for intricate courses like hot potato–cold potato and a choreographed, tableside dessert finale.

Small Cheval’s Lincoln Park location brings the mini-Au Cheval burger formula to Halsted with Golden Fries served alongside garlic aioli. The space is compact but polished, and most guests treat fries plus a signature double cheeseburger as a streamlined, high-calorie ritual before or after nearby shopping and bar-hopping.

An Old Town Neapolitan-leaning spot where the pizzas read more chef-driven than basic, with a menu that invites a couple of shared plates alongside your pie. The best experience comes from ordering one signature pizza and one starter, then letting the table pace itself.

A loud, social Old Town bar-restaurant where pizza is the anchor for groups who want a high-energy hang. It shines when you treat it like a party table: one signature pie, one salad, and drinks that match the room’s momentum.